Our Story
Merging arts, creative and critical thinking, SmartsArts brings together socially engaged community cultural development practitioners who share their knowledge and experience.
We mentor and inspire communities to work together, take the initiative, and come up with new ideas to effect positive social change.
We support communities to recognise their potential and to build their capacity to develop and sustain community driven solutions.
We work with communities to share their experiences and measure success in their own words and to make sense of what they have accomplished.
SmartArts was founded in 1996 as Slippry Sirkus Inc and is a registered charity.
Jodie Harrison
Jodie is a communications advisor working in the media, arts, government and not-for-profit (NFP) sectors with a background as an award-winning journalist, foreign correspondent and communications executive in Australia, the US, Europe and South East Asia.
Jodie is a senior creative consultant, with behaviour change pioneers The Shannon Company and has worked with Oglivy & Maher advertising. She has also worked with the Australian Government Dept of Health, and a number of health and social justice organisations including Christina Noble Foundation in Vietnam and Krousay Thmey child protection in Cambodia. Jodie is a Board Director of MND Victoria and media advisor for Jimmy Little Thumbs Up Foundation, and her campaigning and advocacy has contributed to the positive changes to the Home Stretch foster care reform program.
Denni Scott Davis
Community cultural development consultant and practitioner, social justice advocate, Australia Council of the Arts Creative Producer 2012 recipient. Denni founded the organisation in 1996 and has extensive experience, working with diverse regional, rural and remote communities across Australia to build capacity and co-design, develop and deliver innovative strategies and programs that promote the arts, creativity and critical thinking as a catalyst for positive social change.
Denni recently worked with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation as Senior Community Development Officer and was awarded for her work in engaging and supporting ‘vulnerable’ communities.
Yanni Scott Davis
A founding member, Yanni was awarded the Australia Council of the Arts ‘Kirk Robson’ Award for his outstanding work with young people. Yanni has delivered effective projects and programs to young people and their communities in urban, regional, rural and remote locations across Australia, including juvenile justice detention centres. Yanni also worked with Newcastle Council Youth Services as program manager and music producer to deliver youth programs for vulnerable young people with a focus on inclusion and social justice.
Uncle Martin Ballangarry, OAM
A Gumbaynggirr Elder, SmartArts Cultural Advisor, Nambucca Valley Councillor, (acting) President of the Local Government Aboriginal Network (LGAN) and Director of the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language & Culture Co-operative. Uncle Martin was the first Aboriginal councillor at Nambucca Shire Council and a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia for his work with Indigenous youth and local community.
Soraya Touma
Program management, mental health practitioner. Cross discipline artist. Soraya’s practice encompasses Community Arts for Social Change using song writing and performance, video and visual arts to promote social cohesion and mental health. This work has taken her from working with young women in Western Sydney to homeless young people and the Wayside Chapel in Sydney, Regional NSW (Mid North Coast), Central Arnhem and remote communities in the Kimberley WA. Working with young people, their families and the whole of community with an emphasis on supporting outcomes for socially disadvantaged communities.
Kellie Martusciello
Kellie, is a founding member, project manager and youth worker who has worked for more than twenty years in regional, rural and remote communities across Australia, supporting vulnerable young people experiencing intergenerational trauma and other challenges to find their feet and explore pathways to improving their chances of more positive outcomes for the future.
Fiona Morrison
Community development consultant and strategist, previously Executive Officer, Volunteering, Central Coast and NSW Volunteer Centre Network executive with a masters degree in organisational management and psychology. Fiona has extensive experience in senior leadership, strategic planning, organizational capacity development and management roles across government, youth, seniors, child, community services and the volunteering sector. Her focus is encouraging dynamic and innovative best practice in the community sector to foster communities to achieve their potential.
Joshua Thomason
Digital Creative, Video Producer, Filmmaker, Strategist and Community Builder with a focus on social change. Josh began a career in multimedia 20 years ago, founding StreetTV media and then working with the marketing headquarters of Vodafone Australia. Then worked with the NSW Conservatorium of Music creating content to delivering several projects with remote communities in the central desert, before taking on the role of Director/Curator at a Regional Gallery in Western Australia. On return to the east coast, Josh took on the role of HeadSpace Youth Wellbeing Advisory Group Coordinator, Gold Coast and is currently exploring the impact of music on mental health and wellbeing through community workshops, concerts, events and multimedia sound site installations.
Clinton Lamb
A proud Gamilaroi man, Clint has worked with us since he was 17, when he began his journey as a participant and soon took on the role of peer mentor and now cultural mentor to the young people of his community in Narrabri, North West NSW. Clinton has worked with Centacare as Aboriginal men’s Wellbeing Officer and delivered programs for young people in communities in NSW and the Northern Territory. Clint’s work is founded on understanding of culture and how important that is to identity and wellbeing.